Conference turris::scandia

194.0. "Norwegian arms maker under scrutiny by Pentagon" by TLE::SAVAGE (Neil, @Spit Brook) Mon Mar 23 1987 09:08

Associated Press Sat 21-MAR-1987 17:49                              Norway-US
                                                   
                Norway Probing Arms Maker's Trade With Soviets
    
    OSLO, Norway (AP) - A Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday confirmed
    Norwegian authorities are trying to determine if arms manufacturer
    Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk diverted Western military technology to the
    Soviet Union. "Norwegian police and representatives of several
    government ministeries have carried out investigations for weeks
    already," said spokesman Per Paust. 
    
    A statement issued Friday by the Pentagon in Washington said the
    Defense Department was working with Norway and Japan on such
    investigations. It said the Japanese firm Toshiba also is under
    investigation. "We were contacted by American authorities four weeks
    ago. The Director of Public Prosecutions was informed immediately,"
    Paust said. An undersecretary at the foreign office heads the Norwegian
    investigation, he said. 
    
    "Representatives of the departments of industry, trade, foreign affairs
    and defense, as well as the national military supreme command, are
    represented in the working group" conducting the probe, Paust said. "In
    addition, the police are engaged in a separate investigation to clarify
    Kongsberg's alleged trade with the Soviet Union. So far no conclusions
    can be drawn from the investigations," he said. 
    
    Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk's main products are for civilian use, including
    gas turbines, electrical maritime navigation systems, data systems, car
    components and equipment for the offshore petroleum industry. Military
    equipment made by the company include aircraft components, missiles,
    guns, handweapons and various weapons systems. 

    According to the Deutsch Press-Agentur, a Norwegian government
    commission of inquiry has rejected U.S. accusations of illegal arms
    sales by the Kongsberg firm. On Sunday, a foreign ministry spokesman
    in Oslo said that the investigation had yielded no indication of
    a NATO high-technology export violation.
    
    The Washington Times reported the alleged arms exports on Friday.
    The exported components were supposed to have enabled the Soviets
    to produce noise-reduced submarine propellers.
    
    Notwithstanding the results of the Norwegian government probe, the
    public prosecutor in Oslo will also look into the allegations.